Bible Class: Lesson 36

A sheep can go astray

• Christians are called sheep. The church is called a flock. A sheep may be led astray, or may voluntarily leave the flock. Persons who hold the teaching, once saved always saved, teach that Jesus died for the predestined sheep. Since the sheep is predestined to be saved, they cannot lose their salvation.
• John 10:11
  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
• 1 Peter 2:25
  For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
• 1 Peter 5:2
  Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;

Branches and vine

• Jesus is the vine. He is the main tree that sustains the branches. Christians are branches that are attached to the vine. If a branch is broken and detached from the vine, that branch will spiritually die.
• John 15:5-6
  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

Guarding our salvation

• Christians are given a stern warning to guard, protect and keep their salvation. They can fall from grace. They should not boast or feel that they cannot fall or lose their salvation. The Israelites were God’s people. They sinned and God destroyed them.
• 1 Corinthians 10:5-12
  Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

Christian can fall from grace

• The Galatians started their Christian walk by obeying the gospel. They were being led astray by false teachers to accept law and works. Paul warned them that accepting law was a departure from God. "Persons who fall from grace have departed from the principle of grace, which is unmerited favor from God. Grace is central to the gospel message, as salvation is a gift from God, not a result of works.
• Galatians 5:4
  You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
• Galatians 3:1-3
  You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

Our salvation and false teachers

• Christians should be careful with false teachers. They can be carried away and lose their salvation.
• 1 Timothy 1:18-20
  Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
• 2 Timothy 2:16-18
  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

God can keep us from falling

• Christians are to constantly pray and devote themselves to living faithful lives. We can fall from grace. We need the help of God to maintain our salvation.
• Jude 1:24
  Now unto him that can keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

Continue in the faith

• The doctrine of predestination teaches, that there is nothing those who have been pre selected for salvation have to do. Their salvation is secured. The bible teaches that we must continue in the faith to be saved. We are to hold firm to what we have been taught.
• Acts 14:21-22
  And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-2
  Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
• Colossians 1:21-23
  Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Our reward and salvation

• Christians can only be rewarded if they complete their spiritual journey. They must be faithful to the end. If they fall away and do not return, they will not be rewarded.
• Revelation 2:10
  Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
• Hebrews 3:14
  We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
• Philippians 1:6
  Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
• Hebrews 10:35-36
  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Trials and our salvation

• Shortly after Paul taught the Christians in Thessalonica, he left them because of persecution. He was worried that the Devil would tempt them, they would face persecution, they would fall away, and his labour would have been in vain.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
  So, when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.
   
  

Salvation and personal responsibility

• No one is predestined to be saved. When a person is saved, he must take responsibility to keep that salvation.
• Philippians 2:12
  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

The restoration of our salvation

• God will save people. They will sin. They will fall from grace. When they do, they are encouraged to repent and restore their salvation. Persons who teach, once saved always saved, teach that those whom God has predestined to be saved cannot sin and lose their salvation. David sinned. His relationship with God was broken. It had to be resorted. The same is true with the Christians in Ephesus.
• 1 John 1:8-10
  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
• Psalm 51:10-12
  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
• Revelation 2:1-5
  “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Returning to the world

• Christians can return to their past lives. What do we understand by the words of Peter, “It would have been better for them not to have known.” What lessons can we learn from the two practical proverbs Peter used?
• 2 Peter 2:20-22
  If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

Salvation is a choice

• God created man with the capacity and freedom to choose. Salvation is not forced on man. He is not predestined. The words, whosoever believes, is a choice.
• John 3:16
  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The desire of God

• God has not predestined some to be saved and some to be lost against their will. It is the desire of God that all men hear the gospel, obey it and be saved.
• 1 Timoth 2:3-4
  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
• 2 Peter 3:9
  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Falling away and false teachings

• Teachings that contrary to the truth that is revealed in the bible, are false and spiritually dangerous. These teaching will cause us to fall from grace and lose our salvation. We must avoid false teachings. 
• 2 Peter 3:15-17
  Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.